Aston Villa were brought back down to earth in their first game of 2012 after goals from Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge saw Swansea City ease to victory at Villa Park.

The claret and blues had ended 2011 with a with an impressive 3-1 away win at Chelsea on New Year’s Eve but the feel-good factor quickly dissipated after jaded home performance as Swansea picked up their first Premier League away win of the campaign.

Alex McLeish made one change from the side which won at Stamford Bridge as fit-again Darren Bent came in for Marc Albrighton who dropped to the bench.

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But Villa made a disastrous start as Swansea scored in the fourth minute when Stephen Warnock sold fellow defender Richard Dunne short with a dreadful backpass which was intercepted by Nathan Dyer.

The Swansea winger ran straight a goal and calmly guided a low shot past the diving Brad Guzan and into the bottom-left corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Villa did not let the goal disrupt their early attacking intent and Bent miscued a shot from a good position two minutes later while Gabby Agbonlahor headed wide from a Charles N’Zogbia cross shortly after.

Dyer continued to be a source of irritation for Warnock and the Villa left-back had his pocket picked in the 29th minute and the Swansea wideman picked out the run of Danny Graham but Guzan was alert enough to make a comfortable save.

Graham was presented with another opportunity five minutes later when a Swansea counter-attack saw Andrea Orlandi released down the left flank.

The Spanish midfielder got beyond compatriot Carlos Cuellar and cut a brilliant ball back for Graham who could only direct his shot wide of the post with Guzan seemingly beaten.

Swansea flew out of the blocks second half to grab a second goal in the 47th minute after the interval through Villa old boy Routledge who netted his debut goal since a summer move from QPR.

Guzan’s poor clearance allowed the visitors to break down the left flank and Routledge outpaced Cuellar to set up Graham who saw his initial shot rebound back off the post. But Routledge was quickest to react and he drilled a shot past Guzan to double Swansea’s advantage.

McLeish withdrew Ireland in the 68th minute for Albrighton – which prompted boos from the Holte End – and the young winger gave the home side fresh impetus down the left flank as Agbonlahor went into a central position.

But despite their positive intent Villa struggled to break down an organised Swansea defence and apart from the odd chance from a set-piece or balls into the box from out wide visiting keeper Michel Vorm barely had a save of note to make.

In fact it was Swansea who went closest in the remainder of the game as they waited for chances on the counter attack and Villa keeper Guzan was given a bloody nose late on as he saved bravely at the feet of Swansea substitute Joe Allen in a one-on-one situation.

N’Zogbia thought he had pulled one back in injury time when the ball dropped to him inside the penalty area but his shot with the outside of his left boot ricocheted of the frame of the goal.